We walked on a golden floor of autumn leaves, under an arbor to a heart-shaped garden with silver stars twinkling overhead. In the center was a raised area edged in sea shells, adorned with an angel statue and plaque with a water fountain serving as a headstone. Faye Floyd, a local hair stylist, lost her beloved pet Pudge after 14 years of companionship on July 23, 2009 due to age and diabetes. The memory garden for Pudge is located 40 feet from her back door where she can see it from inside the home.

Faye and her seventeen year old son, Brad Marley fell in love with the underdog of a friend’s litter. The fuzzy and pudgey chow mix puppy quickly became a full-fledged part of the family. He slept in Faye’s bed, ate at the kitchen table and road shotgun in the car, not to mention having complete run of the house. Faye started and ended her day with Pudge by her feet.

On a chilly afternoon August 22, 2009 35 guests attended a memorial ceremony in Faye’s backyard to honor Pudge’s life. The high number of attendees was a true testimony of the love for Pudge and the support for Faye. There were 3 readings, a song sung and composed by Brad with the entire ceremony videotaped by a friend. The lyrics and readings touched on the love, memories and the hope of seeing him again. When I asked Faye what helped her through this difficult time  she said reading a book titled,  “Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates”, building his memory garden and the support of family and friends who knew of their unbreakable bond.

I thank Faye for sharing this touching story of the love for a pet sadly missed.

The memory garden is just beautiful. Faye was worried about what I would think because of my profession as a landscape designer. She had nothing to worry about, I was just glad that a garden was the type of memorial chosen to honor Pudge.

Every element in the garden has meaning and symbolism.

The angel was a statue given to Faye’s mother at an earlier point in time.

Rest in Peace Pudge

Diana

The passing of Adam Petty was a premature death of the 4th generation of professional race car drivers. Adam Petty is a son, grandson, brother and friend, who had a heart of gold.

Victory Junction was built because of the dream Adam had while alive and well. Adam wanted a facility for terminally ill and disabled children to enjoy while being outside of their homes and hospitals. Victory Junction honors a young man and helped the bereaved family mourn the loss of  their eldest son.

One cannot miss the entrance of the facility with the water tower resembling a hot air balloon.

The entrance building was bright and inviting. The staff ensures visitors are free of germs and sickness before entering.

There was no mistaking who is being honored at this facility.

Erin, the development coordinator stated that Adam is everywhere and she meant it.

The statue of a lion was brought in this past year by Adam’s grandfather, Richard Petty.

To me, the lion symbolizes strength.

The treehouse is not your typical backyard elevated play area.

This serene made-made lake is stocked with regularly fed fish. The motto is “Catch, Kiss and Release.”

This area was my favorite stop, the Larry & Hannah Johnson Spiritual Center.

Beautifully landscaped with a large pergola opening up to the stars.

The view is breathtaking.

The interior of the spiritual center has a very calming ambiance.

The stain glass window only contributes to the spirit of this place.

The sleeping quarters for all are very colorful.

Of the 12,000 children who visited Victory Junction since the opening, 12 have passed on. In their honor, weeping cherry trees are planted within the grounds of Victory Junction.

There is much more than what is posted here. Tours are available by inquiring through email at mwilbur@vistoryjunction.org.

Believe me, there is a way all of us can help to keep the camp thriving. Even through volunteering, sewing, or donating costumes to name a few.

Thank you Victory Junction and you are remembered Adam.

Diana Gardner-Williams

Landscape Design and Installation

Divine Weddings and Beyond™ are giving away $100 every month to one engaged woman of the Piedmont Triad Area.

Divine Weddings and Beyond™ are looking for wedding related retail shops to display these beautiful bags within their facility. The bags contain:

• A Divine Weddings and Beyond™ Brochure
• A Bridal Registration Card
• And a drop slot on the front of the bag to insert Registration Cards for a chance at winning $100 cash

Suggested shops we are looking for (not limited to):

• Diamond Jewelers
• Wedding Gown Shops
• Formal Wear
• Tuxedo Shops
• Wedding Venues (allowing outside caterers)
• Wineries
• Hair Accessories/Veils

This is a win/win/win. The bride could win $100/The retail shop could have one happy bride and have an additional link to the internet on dianadigsdirt-blog/and Divine Weddings and Beyond™ receive exposure with a professionally designed promotional piece.

The registration slips will be collected twice a month for a drawing once per month.

Let us market the chance to win $100 by telling our newly engaged couples where your store is located in order to register.  All you have to do is place the beautiful bag on a visible counter or we can construct a gorgeous shelf for your wall.

Our next Wedding Event is scheduled for

April 29th 5-8PM at the Emerald Event Center

Benefiting

Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test

More Information Regarding Wedding Fashion Show

See you there!

Diana Gardner-Williams

Divine Weddings and Beyond™

Landscape Design and Installation

The wedding fashion show was free to the public and participating bridal vendors of the Piedmont Triad Area.

Divine Weddings and Beyond were happy to sponsor their first event, helping to raise money for Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test.

Divine Weddings and Beyond™ consists of:

• Diana Gardner-Williams-Landscape Design and Installation
• Goforth Travel
• Friendly Neighborhood DJ
• Central Floral Gardens, Inc.
• Create a Cake Catering
• Sabika Jewelry
• Halls of Fitness
• Hair I Do Make Up and Hair

We had the pleasure of having Stacia Harrington Photography document our event with gorgeous pictures.

The event consisted of:

• Short workshops provided by Divine Weddings and Beyond™
• Fashion show including wedding gowns, rehearsal dinner and bridal shower dresses, bridesmaid and mother of the bride gowns
• Cake tasting
• $3 glasses of wine
• Door prizes including shrubs, make overs and more
• A Grand Prize of $1000 worth of products and services for one lucky bride
• Picture taking in a photo booth

Donations were collected at the registration desk for Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test.

The fashion show was made possible by the volunteer models and local bridal and consignment shops.

Smiles for everyone.

Fun, Fun, Fun.

Just Perfect.

What a beautiful bridesmaid.

The gowns were exquisite.

The models strolled through a custom designed arbor and adorned with plants, flowers and foliage for any wedding occasion. This permanent structure would complement most landscapes and used for many other festivities at the home.

Other vendors that made this event possible were:

• Rubenesque for Less Consignment Shop
• Mechelle’s Resale Shoppe
• Songbirds Consignment Shop
• A Special Place Wigs (for chemotherapy patients)
• Guilford Woman Magazine
• The Emerald Event Center
• Good Time Photo Booth
• Laura Williston of Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test

We are looking forward to another successful event to raise additional funds for Friends.

April 29th at the Emerald Event Center

 from 5-8 on a Thursday evening

BRIDES, you don’t want to miss this grand prize, a princesses dream!

Those models interested in participating in our next wedding fashion show, please contact Nancy Briggs at nbriggs@callcoverage.com

Those vendors interested in reserving a vendor booth, please contact Diana Gardner-Williams at diana@justacloudaway.com

Those bridal, bridesmaid, mother of the bride, second marriage gowns and tuxedo shops interested in showcasing their merchandise, please contact John Haskins or Clayton Halls at John@friendlyneighborhooddj.com or defeatthefat@gmail.com.

Those wedding vendors interested in learning more on how to become a Divine Weddings and Beyond member, please contact Kari Sells or Betsy Goforth at ksells@centralfloralgardens.com, goforthtravel@mindspring.com for more information.

Happy Planting!

Diana Gardner-Williams

Divine Weddings and Beyond™

-Press Release-For Immediate Release

 New Triad Paper Embraces Death, Grief and Memorials

Just a Cloud Away, Inc. ™ Journal, reporting on “Hope”

Diana Gardner-Williams, a bereaved mother of Liberty, NC founded Just a Cloud Away, Inc. ™ after the stillbirth of her first baby, Tanner Lee in 2003. The support website and products have helped grieving families of pregnancy and infant loss for over 2 years. More than a hundred heartfelt stories of loss, love and hope are posted on “Love Talk” blog at www.justacloudaway.com by bereaved parents whose hearts and dreams are shattered forever.

Diana Gardner-Williams will publish a full color, free monthly paper titled, “Just a Cloud Away, Inc. ™ Journal”. Topics will cover surviving the loss of a loved one, pregnancy or pet. Personal stories of grief, the healing power of hope and the various ways love is expressed through the creation of memorials will be documented by interviews and photographs.

 “Death is a natural part of life, but we don’t have to walk in the valley of darkness alone”, says Mrs. Gardner-Williams.

Just a Cloud Away, Inc. ™ Journal will provide local information regarding healthy living and planning, grief support after the loss of a loved one, pregnancy or pet, the various roads to healing and memorials created, capturing their legacy. Local support groups are listed on the “Support” page found on “Love Talk” blog at www.justacloudaway.com. Mrs. Gardner-Williams is a certified Landscape Designer who created a reflective memory garden after the death of her baby. Ideas on memory gardens can be found on the blog at www.dianadigsdirt.com.

The Just a Cloud Away, Inc. ™ Journal will be distributed to funeral homes, florists, waiting rooms, coffee shops, animal hospitals, nursing homes and churches. The first issue will arrive early February 2010. Other venues interested in carrying the journals should contact Diana Gardner-Williams at Diana@justacloudaway.com.

-END-

Jennifer Nichols of Clapps Nursing Center in Pleasant Garden was looking for volunteers to head up a few activities for the residents. So we made a date and it was one of the best dates I’ve had in a long time.

The prior month I collected some of my favorite foliage from maple, sassafras, and fig trees, rose and euonymous leaves.The autumn colors were in their prime with gorgeous red, green and yellow autumn striations. I  pressed the foliage between wax paper and placed 30 pounds of books on top for a few weeks. Then packed up my leaves and card making supplies and headed to the nursing home.

Holiday Card Making is a wonderful craft for everyone. There is no right way, it’s created from the heart and to me, a great stress reliever. The residents seemed as excited as I was to be there.

Fortunately, I had the help of two staff members to assist with cutting, printing, glueing and glittering. The artwork was all very unique and just beautiful.

They selected their favorite pressed leaves, paper and glitter color. Also suggesting  the words for the inside of the cards.

Janie loved the glitter.

Fabulous.

There was one fellow named Gene, who took an interest in the craft and created a masterpiece.

All so different.

A pretty blue.

I love the tiny euonymous leaves.

 Their family and friends will receive an extra special card this holiday season. Thank you for having me:)

Happy Planting!  www.dianadigsdirt.com

Diana Gardner-Williams

Landscape Design and Installation

Divine Weddings and Beyond™ are looking for people in the Piedmont Triad Area interested in beautiful landscapes, magical photography, fine wine, wedding vendors, and brides.  Families touched by breast cancer are also encouraged to attend and pink will be one of the dominant colors of the event.

October 8th from 3-8pm Divine Weddings and Beyond™ are hosting a free event recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Donations will be collected at the door and the workshop, fashion show, cake and wine tasting will be well worth the drive to the Emerald Event Center, 2000 East Wendover Ave.

Landscaping is not something a bride typically thinks about the minute her boyfriend proposes. Just think, most brides get ready for the ceremony at the home of the parents, her home or another residence. The landscape outside this home can reflect the style, color or theme of the wedding.

This photogenic backdrop or vignette is the perfect complement to a wedding reception held in an old world structure with wedding bouquets filled with ivory colored roses or hydrangeas.

I will demonstrate  how to use affordable tricks to enhance your backdrop so the photographer will not have to search high and low for the perfect ambiance. you will be surprised at all the things mother nature has to offer brides.

Garden wedding swags are incredibly easy to assemble and add such charm to trees, pergolas, lamp posts or columns.

The season of your wedding  has a large influence on decorations, flowers or themes. An autumn wedding could definitely utilize rusty colored toule, rich earthy flowers or foliage and berries of deep crimson.

I look forward to the Divine Weddings and Beyond™ Workshop and hope you will join us by wearing something pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More information.

Happy Planting from Divine Weddings and Beyond™

Diana Gardner-Williams  www.dianadigsdirt.com

Landscape Design and Installation

Where do most brides get ready before the wedding ceremony? Usually it is in the comfort of a home. If you plan ahead, the spring-blooming flowers within the landscape can compliment your wedding photographs.

If your bridesmaid gowns are a pale pink, try planting bulbs, shrubs, trees or perennials to compliment your bridesmaid dresses or wedding bouquets.

Pink azaleas come in so many different shades, you are bound to find a variety to match your bridesmaid dresses.

The Eastern Redbud Tree is fabulous in bloom. The flowers emerge before the foliage. What a delicate backdrop for your wedding photography.

Another great tree for spring blooms is the Yoshino Cherry Tree. This specimen tree has those fairy tale qualities many brides look for.

If the gowns are pale pink, purple landscape flowers are next to each other on the color wheel called harmonious or analogous colors. Creeping phlox below explode with color in the spring. Try laying on this perennial for a smashing wedding picture.

Ajuga is another beautiful spring-blooming perennial with purple spikes.

A soft salmon-colored gown is great for a spring bridesmaid dress.

Did you know that Daffodils come in colors other than white, yellow and orange? Daffodil bulbs to harmonize with salmon dresses are Vie en Rose, Elizabeth Ann, Fidelity, Salome, and Palmares.

Please consult with a professional landscape designer to determine exactly when the flowering plants bloom. Some are earlier than others and some have a longer bloom period.

Divine Weddings and Beyond will be hosting a Wedding Fashion Show and Workshop on October 8th 2009 at the Emerald Event Center from 3-8. This is a free event and donations will be accepted at the door for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

I will be giving a workshop of how to spruce up your landscape to provide a gorgeous backdrop for wedding photography.

 Diana Gardner-Williams

Divine Weddings and Beyond™

Landscape Design and Installation

Piedmont Triad brides, bridesmaids and mothers of these beautiful brides  are invited to an event 1st of its kind, right here in Greensboro. Please review the invitation below. Yes, the grand prize is $1000 worth of products and services you will eventually need. The facility will be set up like an actual wedding to create the perfect ambiance for a wedding fashion show.

For wedding vendors and wedding publications-please RSVP ASAP. We ask that you arrive between 2:30 and 3 and bring businesses cards for your tables. Since many of you have products, feel free to carry a basket to distribute items to the brides. Please remember to bring a donation for Breast Cancer Awareness. Looking forward to a great event and meeting all of you!

More information located here. 

Diana Gardner-Williams  www.dianadigsdirt.com

Divine Weddings and Beyond™

Landscape Design and Installation

September is here and so are the cooler temperatures. So there are no excuses why a few hours cannot be dedicated to your lovely landscape.

Your grass may be looking a little on the brown side. It is OK if you did not waste the Greensboro water supply to keep your lawn lush and green. Grass is the most affordable sacrifice. The shrubs and trees are where the water needs to be applied. Aerating the lawn will break up the soil surface allowing oxygen and water to enter the compacted soil. Once aerated, the fertilizer will be able to reach the grass roots with ease.

If you are struggling with the same patch of lawn that refuses to grow grass, turn it into a plant bed. Why fight it.

While you are fertilizing, purchase a fertilizer high in Phosphorus (middle number on the bag) for your garden mums and Helleborus.

Mums are blooming now and Helleborus will bloom in winter when little is happening in the landscape.

Helleborus are the cream colored flowers pictured in the front. They bloom from February to April.

September is also the perfect time to plant perennials because the temperatures are cooler and there is plenty of time for roots to establish.

Keep harvesting your basil. this herb will produce leaves until the first frost.

This is the time to select your spring blooming bulbs for planting next month. Have a plan first because these are definitely show stoppers and a breath of sweetness after a long winter.

Apply compost or another organic fertilizer (bonemeal, bloodmeal, fish emulsion) along with the bulbs for a grandiose flower display come spring.

September is a great month to play in the garden.

Happy Planting!!  www.dianadigsdirt.com

Diana Gardner-Williams

Landscape Design and Installation